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Running back John Avery issued a challenge to Argonauts management yesterday.

The odd man out when the club signed Ricky Williams earlier this season, Avery said it is time the coaching staff figured out a way to use him and Williams when both are healthy.

Williams, the former Miami Dolphins star, broke his arm last month, but is expected to be ready in about three weeks.

Rather than sitting him down again, as was the case when the team signed Williams, Avery said both backs should be used to terrorize the opposition together.

"I thought that Ricky and I should have been in the backfield since Day 1. Even Ricky said that," Avery said.

Instead, he was benched.

"I don't know who made that final decision, but I wonder what they were smoking," the third-year Argo said. "I think they need to be drug-tested.

"I thought with Ricky's track record and his ability, and my ability, that it would be devastating to have us in the backfield at the same time.

"It turns out, I was turned into a cheerleader."

Avery returned to the lineup on Saturday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Still struggling to get over a hamstring injury, Avery managed 74 yards on 13 carries, even though he claimed to be only 75% healthy.

For this Saturday's game against the Montreal Alouettes (7-1), the former Mississippi star expects to be much closer to 100%.

"I was pretty winded for most of the (Hamilton) game and after the first quarter my legs felt like rubber," he said. "Basically, I was just trying to fake it, until I make it."

Avery said he will not lose any sleep worrying about what happens once Williams returns.

"You just have to pray that you don't lose your mind, pray that you don't go crazy and pray that you don't kill anybody," Avery said. "I pray all the time, so it doesn't really affect me too much."

Argos head coach Mike Clemons suggested he wouldn't mind seeing both backs on the field, but that it's easier said than done.

"It's tough enough getting one guy touches," Clemons said. "Getting two guys touches and maybe have them do things that are foreign to them may or may not be the best idea.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But we'll give it huge consideration and a lot of thought and effort. We will try to make it happen."